Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-08-04
~ THE OKEY IsI4NDx.

We found the Oven Islanders very
great people for amusements; the chill
dren, the young men, and sometimes
even the old play games on the beach,
much as our youngsters do on the vil-
lage green; and they play many games,
too, which we know well in England,
says writer in Lon8man's Magazine.
Is it that mems mind, when intent on
sport, will arrive at pretty much the
same conclusion all the world over? I
think SO, for I am sure that if any
traveller has ever visited the Owen
Islands he never took the trouble to
teach the inhabitants oranges and
lemons, blind mans buff, and games of
kindred nature, which we saw, under
different names certainly, but played
in much the same fashion on the beach.
Most of the games partook of rather
a bellicose nature, and bore testimony
of the hardness and spirit of our
friends. A game called "war" is dis
tinctly of this nature, and is great
favorite among the adult population.
Two sides are chosen, the cups" and
the downs" say ten on each side, and
hostile camps are pitched about thirty
yards apart. Having previously come
to a decision as to which side is to COM
mence firing. the general of the cups"
marshals his men in row, tskes ball
in his hand, and when the signal for the
commencement of hostilities is given
hurls it with all his might on the
downs" If it is caught before it falls,
one of the cups" has to go over to the
camp of the "downs" as prisoner of
war; he is henceforth termed beast of
burden. They jump on his back and
ride him up and down in triumph; if,
however, as frequently happens, it is
not caught the prisoner, who is hit has
to go from the camp to the "downs"
and receives similar treatment. The
next shot takes place from the opposite
side, until not man is left. There was
always great excitement, we noticed,
when only one was left in each camp,
and the victory generally fell to the
thrower of the ball.
While their elders were thus engaged
the more juvenile portion OF the popu-
lation were to be seen hard by engaged
in game of an equally rough nature.
| -Four of them, with their arms linked
and their backs outward, were dancing
|
slowly around circle, singing as they
went; to one of them was attached
red girdle, the other end of which was
held by another boy, whose duty was
to prevent the rest of the players from
jumping on the backs OF those who
were singing; if any one succeeded in
doing so, the boy with the girdle was
defeated and gave place to another.
Scarcely any of their games are with
out this jumping on the back as sign
of victory and humiliation to the van
pushed; rough treatment and blows
naturally ensue, ard all are borne with
the greatest good nature Ineyer once
saw them squabble over this class of
game; in this point they differ from
English children. 1t is very different,
however, when money is at stake. In
the game of omades, form of pitch
and toss, or in the cafes, where the men
fight over their cards aud labyrinth
games, the disputes often take alarming
| proportions. In this characteristic they
are Greek, and undoubtedly theirs is
the sensible view to take of the matter
-squabble only when there is some
thing substantial to be gained by SO
| doing.